Humanitarian aid
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White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks to journalists.
Photo: DPA
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Washington (dpa). The US is considering making entry easier for refugees from Ukraine.
The government is evaluating whether there are Ukrainian nationals who, for example, cannot safely remain in Europe and for whom settling in the United States is a better option, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in Washington. They work together with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the European Union. Refugee status in the United States can take years.
Hardly any routes to the USA so far
US President Joe Biden recently announced that he would welcome Ukrainian refugees. The issue is central to his trip to Poland later this week. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda had already appealed to the United States to take in refugees for the duration of the war. Vice President Kamala Harris recently emphasized during a trip to Poland that the majority of the refugees wanted to stay in Europe.
There are currently only a few options for people from Ukraine to come to the USA permanently. Some are attempting to enter through the country’s southern border. Others try to get a visa. This is risky, however, since visas are only intended for temporary stays in the United States and are therefore not the appropriate route for an immigration procedure. “Ukrainians should not attempt to apply for nonimmigrant visas to travel to the United States as refugees,” the US State Department warned.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220321-99-618415/2
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